Archives West Finding Aid

The Missoula Fire Department Photographs and Scrapbooks contain images, newspaper clippings, thank you notes from families and individuals to the fire department, and invitations to fire fighter dances in towns across Montana and Idaho. Many of the photographs depict the Missoula Fire Department's station building, personnel, equipment, and response to structure fires from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. In addition, some of the images feature fire departments from other Montana cities and towns, including Anaconda, Butte, and Great Falls. The majority of the newspaper clippings come from Missoula newspapers, but other publications are included such as The Great Falls Tribune, The Anaconda Standard, The Portland Telegram, and The Victoria Daily Times (British Columbia, Canada). Most of the newspaper clippings in these scrapbooks pertain to issues directly related to fire fighting including fire fighting innovations, fire prevention, fire deaths and damages, fire chief profiles, fire fighter conferences, and political decisions that impacted funding. Other articles refer to local news and contemporary social and cultural issues.